Kate Shanley
Kathryn W. Shanley is Professor Emeritus iat the University of Montana-Missoula. Prior to her retirement in 2022, she also worked as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Native American and Indigenous Education and served as chair of Native American Studies. She has published widely in the field of Native American literature, most notably on the work of Blackfeet / Gros Ventre writer James Welch. Recently, Dr. Shanley has been researching Native American voting and published “Remembering and Reconciling: Native American Women, Community, and Citizenship,” in Making Citizenship Work: Culture and Community (edited by Rodolfo Rosales, 2021). In addition to many other editing projects, In 2014, Dr. Shanley co-edited Mapping Indigenous Presence, a comparative study of Sami people from Norway and Native Americans from Montana. In regard to service, Dr. Shanley has held many leadership positions, including having served as president of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) from 2011 – 2013 and as a Regional Liaison for the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program. She is an enrolled citizen fin the Nakoda Nation of the Ft. Peck Reservation in Montana.
Letty Ashworth
Letty joined Genuine Parts Company after a nearly 20-year long career with Delta Airlines where she was a key leader in Delta’s global strategy to meet its civic obligation to the communities where their employees lived, worked, and served around the world. She is an experienced D&I leader and served as Delta’s Director of Global Diversity where she worked to promote the hiring and retention of a first-class workforce that reflected the diverse demographics of a rapidly changing and interconnected world. Letty also led Delta’s efforts to combat human trafficking and was instrumental in the company’s training of its more than 80,000 employees worldwide. She became a nationally sought-after speaker on this topic and has given testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in support of Delta’s commitment to combatting human trafficking.
Letty has served on multiple non-profit boards and has been recognized by numerous organizations for her commitment to Diversity, Leadership and Human Rights. She is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
Madeline Van Dyck
Originally from Atlanta, Madeline’s family has called Athens home for the last four decades. Raising her five children here, they have since scattered to the winds from New York City to the Western Rockies.She has a BSN from Arizona State University, an MSN from the Medical College of Georgia, her CRNA from Georgia Baptist School of Anesthesia in Atlanta, and a “midlife” BAJ at UGA, that led to her working for Atlanta’s ABC TV affiliate and Athens’ NPR radio station for a time.
Madeline has served on a number of boards and commissions over the years. Among them she was founding chair of the Oconee River Land Trust, a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Athens Justice Project, a founding board member of the Georgia Faith Health Nursing Association, and 20 years on the Oconee River Greenway Commission.
Robin Walls
Robin Walls is the Executive Director/CEO of the King County Housing Authority in Seattle, WA. Robin has more than 22 years in the affordable housing field. Her extensive experience, deep knowledge of HUD programs, and demonstrated record of success position her as a leader in pursuing solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crises in King County. Robin participates in several professional organizations including the National Leased Housing Association, where she serves on the board, and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, where she serves on multiple standing committees.
Robin hails from Chicago. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. She looks forward to using her knowledge and experience to further the mission of the Rankin Foundation.
Dr. Judith Gil
Dr. Gil has dedicated her career in mental health and social work to improving the lives of individuals, particularly those that are marginalized, oppressed and underrepresented. Of specific interest has been the teenage and student parent population. Her doctoral research project explored the factors that contributed to academic success in the form of college degrees among Black and Latina teenage mothers. The findings of her research speak to the importance of providing opportunities for women who are looking to improve their lives and those of their children via a college education. The mission of the Jeanette Rankin Foundation is at the heart of Dr. Gil’s passion and purpose.
Dr. Gil currently serves as Deputy Director of mental health services at the Children’s Aid in NYC. As part of her commitment to the field of social work, Dr. Gil also serves as adjunct assistant professor with Columbia University Graduate School of Social Work, Fordham University’s MSW program and York College (CUNY) BSW and MSW program.
Dr. Gil is a published author and expert guest speaker on the topic of trauma and the stigma of mental health within the Latinx community. She has hosted workshops on mental health related topics such as trauma, women’s resilience and the importance of raising awareness on mental health within the Latinx communities.She is passionate in her approach to the work and is committed to serving the community.
Dr. Gil earned her Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, her Masters degree in Social Work from Fordham University and the Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in sociology from the City College of NY.
Kunal Verma
Kunal is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Finance for Innova Solutions. Kunal has a background in Business Finance with an emphasis on business financial health. Kunal believes that finance and social responsibility go hand-in-hand by implementing Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in businesses’ health impacts, client engagement, and employee fulfillment. Kunal was introduced to the Rankin Foundation by the current Board of Directors through his work and served on the Rankin Foundation Finance/Investment Committee for a year before joining the board.
Alecia Bailey
Alecia is the Global Head of DEI and CSR for Assurant. She is an inclusive leader with more than two decades of progressive operational experience driving and delivering excellence in the financial industry. Expertise in directing cross-functional and geographically diverse teams to achieve shared objectives by conceptualizing and implementing solutions that support corporate and divisional objectives. She has volunteered with the Rankin Foundation for five years. For three years she was the STAR Party Co-Chair. Alecia said that our mission is what drives her to continue volunteering and supporting Rankin Scholars: “Empowered women, empower other women. That is my mantra and drive!”
J. Maria Waters
J. Maria Waters is currently serving as an in-house staff counsel for Progressive Group of Insurance Companies. Her professional accolades are evenly matched by her thoughtful social contributions. Maria is also on the board of Coastal Children’s Advocacy Center. She’s vice co-chair of the Law School Orientation Subcommittee of the State Bar of Georgia Professionalism Committee and she’s a community investment volunteer for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, along with other organizations and state bar committees.
Peg Olsen
Peg Olson brings 20 years of recruiting expertise combined with an intuitive skill for assessing individual talent and organizational needs. She has conducted a multitude of searches for Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, General Counsels, Human Resource Leaders, CIOs, Chief Medical Officers, Executive Directors and other top-level executives. Peg has a successful track record of identifying and aligning leaders with both publicly traded and venture capital/private equity-backed organizations.
LaToro Yates
LaToro is an Enrollment Specialist in Higher Education most recently serving as the Executive Director For Enrollment Management at York College of the City University of New York. There he was responsible for managing three departments: Admissions, Financial Aid, and Testing. He has 14 years of experience in Enrollment Management and Student Affairs and has led York College to three consecutive years of their highest enrollment in the school’s history. He is active in the community and helped create a homework-to-play program at the Salvation Army in Jersey City. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University in 2013.
Dimples Williamson
Dimples joined Synchrony Financial in 2014, and she leads the strategy development and implementation for credit programs for a $2 billion portfolio. She previously worked for General Electric for 14 years working in Sales, Marketing, and Client Development. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech University. She serves as a mentor for high school and college-bound students and teaches them leadership skills and college preparation. She lives in Cumming, GA, with her husband Travis.
Charmaine Wilson
Charmaine is a retired professor at USC-Aiken, where she was also the chair of the Department of Communication Studies. She is a Missoula, MT native and graduated from Hellgate High School and the University of Montana. She received her MA in Organizational Communication from Purdue University and her PhD in Organizational Communication from the University of Washington.
Charmaine’s greatest passion is teaching others and working with her students one-on-one to help them pursue their goals. She is the youngest of 6 kids, and two of her brothers and a sister still live in Missoula. Like all Montanans, she has a strong affinity for Jeannette Rankin.
